Heroes of the New Day

What began as a simple journey has turned into so much more...

Kislev

A mountainous region predominanty composed of dwarves & gnomes, Kislev is a cold northern kingdom with many caves and burrows. Many of the taller mountains are home to dragons, and many of the major cities are actually underground (or under mountains), or half-way above/below ground.

Capital City: Ulan Bator. Originally the site of a congruence of three dwarven clans, and also a gnomish holy site, this massive city, half of which is beneath Mt. Inspiration, is home to about half a million dwarves & gnomes.

Politics: The national council, composed of 3 dwarves & 2 gnomes, handles most day-to-day diplomacy, and is headquartered in Ulan Bator. They also have a War General (a dwarf) for handling all defense issues, and a Master Genius (a gnome) for resolving any invention/magical disputes (of which there are many).

Military/Flag Colors: The Kislevers who go into combat wear cloaks of grey, black, and yellow. Their flag is a grey set of gears attached to a black axe, on a field of yellow.

Places of NoteMt. Inspiration. It is said that Gond, the gnomish god of wonder, sent a meteor of inspiration to crash into this mountain many centuries ago. Made of pure residuum, it caused gnomes near it to seize-up in fits of inventive genius, and inspired the gnomes of Kislev to put aside the trickster ways of their forest cousins to instead work with dwarves to mine and create great things. Occasionally gnomes will still seek to climb its treacherous peak to have such an inspirational fit.

GnomeTech Industries. The many large factories and magical experimentation zones of Gnometech Industries can be found above and below a large waterfall in the southwest of the nation. Fueled by hydro-power, magical know-how, and Gnomish enthusiasm, the citizens of GnomeTech City all work, in some way or another, for the company, giving their all to make their best. This area is known for explosions, strange magical phenomena, and other unexpected happenings. It is also home to the Worldwide Gnomish Tool Suit competition, held once every 5 years. Tools and suits sold separately.

Sootmine. An industrial village known for its lethal catapults, ballistae, and ammunition, this smoke-filled town, its mines (coal & iron), and the surrounding forests are responsible for most of the seige weaponry that is used on The Line.

The Star League. A collection of philosophers, warlocks, mystics, and others who seek answers in the stars. Their main observatories are located in what has become a small city/collective in the far north of Kislev, away from the smoke of all the mines & factories, next to a wide open frontier that leads to the Great Barrier Mountains. Though they sometimes face trouble from the attacking giant tribes of Kodan coming down from the mountains, the Star League often knows of these attacks well in advance through their various stellar auguries, and that enables them to prepare their arcane defenses to dispel the attackers. Though there is a smaller church to Sehanine in the Star League’s collective, it is also perhaps the only place where cults of specific star deities have managed to survive, or at least be catalogued and respected. Not surprisingly, Ioun also has a number of devotees among the Star League.

Stonewood Forest. Located near Sootmine, the trees of this forest are said to have somehow fused with the rocks of the mountains within it, creating a stronger wood that is less likely to break or rot. It is said that the lumberjacks must use diamond and adamantine axes along with magic to fell these trees.

Helmsgard. The ruins of this great dwarven endeavor are a sad reality for the Kislevers. Many dwarves will simply pour a mug of stout on the ground, saying “For Helmsgard” when the topic comes up. If pressed (and subjected to a high enough Diplomacy/Streetwise check), many miners could probably give you directions to the area of this tragedy, though don’t tell them you’re going to rob the place. More info on the history of Helmsgard can be found in the Bard’s Tale section.